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Oats, chia and cocoa – new flavours for a healthy breakfast

Today is the start of IBS Awareness month a US initiative designed to shine a light on the often silent suffering of the 20% of people suffering from the Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) in one form or another. The campaign aims to generate awareness of IBS and promote understanding of how to manage it.

Also yesterday saw the launch of a new UK App called ‘FODMAP’ which is available on the Food Maestro website here. The app is designed to help you manage your symptoms in association with a dietitian. It also gives you an idea of the high FODMAP foods that can trigger symptoms. Remember everyone has an individual response to each food depending on their unique gut flora and digestive system. You will still need to cook and prepare food and so we hope you can use the app in conjunction with the lovely recipes we research and test for you here.

One thing we are very aware of is that many patients with IBS can over restrict their diet which can compromise their health in the long run. We hope to inspire you to eat as wide a range of foods as possible which can help you to get all the macro and micronutrients you need to stay healthy. In this post I have mixed chia seeds with oats and flavoured them with cocoa, cardamom and vanilla – which taste delicious – and then topped the mix with raspberries, a little fresh orange juice and sugar if required. It is so good I am going to eat it as a snack or pudding too.

Introducing flavours into your food is so important because by making food taste good it is more appetising and easier to eat. I have added a few ground cardamom seeds, a teaspoon of dark good quality cocoa powder and a splash of vanilla. These all taste amazing together. We are great fans of cardamom flavour which goes really well with milk – in dishes like rice pudding – coffee, cocoa and of course in mild tasting curry.

The only ‘to watch out for’ food in this recipe is the coconut flakes but up to a tablespoon (18g) should be OK for most people and I suggest just a light scattering.